over near the hind wheel of the
wagon, where he was applying the hemp to the horses' ankles.

"I don't know," said Billy, as he knelt among the horses and resumed
his work,--"some geranium out there wants me to come out and shake
hands, pow-wow, and make some medicine with him; that's all. Say,
we'll leave Chino for picket, and that Chihuahua cutting horse of
Coon's, you have to put a rope on when you come to him. He's too
touchy to sabe hobbles if you don't."

When we had finished hobbling, and the horses were turned loose, the
stranger proved to be "Babe" Bradshaw, an old chum of Edwards's. The
Spade cook added an earthly laurel to his temporal crown with the
supper to which he shortly invited us. Bradshaw had eaten with the
general wagon, but he sat around while we ate. There was little
conversation during the supper, for our appetites were such and the
spread so inviting that it simply absorbed us.

"Don't bother me," said Edwards to his old chum, in reply to some
inquiry. "Can't you see that I'm occupied at present?"

We did justice to the supper, having had no dinner that day. The cook
even urged, with an earnestness worthy of a motherly landlady, several
dishes, but his browned potatoes and roast beef claimed our attention.
"Well, what are you doing in this country anyhow?" inquired Edwards of
Bradshaw, when the inner man had been thoroughly satisfied.

"Well, sir, I have a document in my pocket, with sealing wax but no
ribbons on it, which says that I am the duly authorized representative
of the Panhandle Cattle Association. I also have a book in my pocket
showing every brand and the names of its owners, and there is a whole
raft of them. I may go to St. Louis to act as inspector for my people
when the round-up ends."

"You're just as windy as ever, Babe," said Billy. "Strange I didn't
recognize you when you first spoke. You're getting natural now,
though. I suppose you're borrowing horses, like all these special
inspectors do. It's all right with me, but good men must be scarce in
your section or you've improved rapidly since you left us. By the way,
there is a man or four lying around here that also represents about
forty-seven brands. Possibly you'd better not cut any of their cattle
or you might get them cut back on you."

"Do you remember," said Babe, "when I dissolved with the 'Ohio' outfit
and bought in with the 'LX' people?"

"When you what?" repeated Edwards.

"Well, then, when I was dischar